New York's Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival has gotten approval of the full site plan for its new, permanent home. The sign-off clears the way for building to start, with the venue expected to open for the summer 2026 season.
The new space has been designed by architecture and urban design firm Studio Gang, and will be the first purpose-built LEED Platinum (a rating system that tracks structures' eco-conscious design) theatre in the U.S. The 13,850 square-foot structure will be on the company's 98-acre campus in Garrison, New York, land gifted to the company by philanthropist Chris Davis. The performance space will continue the company's tradition of presenting outdoor productions that use the Hudson River and surrounding landscape as its backdrop, essentially a permanent version of the temporary structures they have been erecting on the site annually since 2022 (the company had performed on the Boscobel campus in Philipstown prior to Davis' gift).
Along with the stage, the structure includes rehearsal space, expanded accessibility for visitors, a concession building, and standalone public restrooms. Nelson Byrd Woltz has provided landscape design, which will restore native grasses and wetlands to support biodiversity and lessen the facility's reliance on water.
“The approval process has been extensive and rigorous, and we’ve worked to listen to all of the stakeholders in our community to responsibly steward this incredible land,” says Artistic Director Davis McCallum in a statement. “The ambition of creating a space that equally serves the theatre, the community, and the environment is enormous and the responsibility is not lost on us. We are grateful for the diligent review of the Planning Board in Philipstown, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with our community as we realize the vision of this cultural campus as an important resource for our community and the region.”
The company's 2024 season includes Whitney White's By the Queen, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry VI and Richard III; Heidi Armbruster's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd; and Luis Quintero's Medea: Re-Versed. All three productions are running in repertory throughout the summer in a season tent near where the permanent home will be.
Visit HVShakespeare.org.
